As you people know I volunteer regularly for a Wildlife Sanctuary(my new avatar is actually our Peregrine Falcon Phoenix that's my baby girl. My absolute favorite bird there), and I do this because it's the career I have chosen to be in. I love those animals, and I love helping to rehab them, and getting them back out into the wild. Here's the problem I brought a "friend" to volunteer with me a few months back, but she apparently became the center of a conflict that led to her expulsion. Now the director told me what happened is that she was breaking big rules as in handling animals in dangerous ways, getting into the incubators handling baby animals without authority, and arguing with both Peggy, and my other superior Jean. The rules about what volunteers can handle are put in place for the safety of both us, and the animals. Now apparently I was in the back washing dishes, but I DO know Peggy, and Jean would not call for a volunteer being let go unless they had good reason.
Now where I come in is that they called me a day before they made the decision to tell me what they wanted to do. They also told me to stay neutral, and stay out of it. THEY would tell my friend what they were doing, and why. So I did as they asked, and stayed out of it. I did ask if there was any way to resolve this with a warning, but they said no. Now my friend is blaming me for all of this because I didn't get involved. She felt I should've stuck up for her which I did to an extent, but I have no more power than any other volunteer. She called Peggy, and Jean liars...which I know them both well enough to know they wouldn't make something this severe up. Since this is the career I am looking to be in I couldn't press the issue with my superiors for fear of my own future. I spent so many of my years looking to please others often at my expense which really never served me much good, so I made the decision at this point to be loyal to myself first. I don't think I was wrong for staying neutral, and protecting my own ass,and future ambition, but people sure know how to make you feel awful for doing so. I think I did the right thing for myself as I am steadily advancing in this field I have been invited to assist in veterinary treatments with the animals, helping with releases, and simply moving up the ladder(and truth be told my friend ALSO could've been in my position had she not decided to get cocky, and act like she knew more than everyone else about the animals. In order to advance in this field you have to be willing to learn, and observe, and keep your ego in check). This is my dream, and I couldn't let anyone fuck it up for me. To weigh possibly losing a friend to losing my future I chose to keep my future. Was I wrong?
Now where I come in is that they called me a day before they made the decision to tell me what they wanted to do. They also told me to stay neutral, and stay out of it. THEY would tell my friend what they were doing, and why. So I did as they asked, and stayed out of it. I did ask if there was any way to resolve this with a warning, but they said no. Now my friend is blaming me for all of this because I didn't get involved. She felt I should've stuck up for her which I did to an extent, but I have no more power than any other volunteer. She called Peggy, and Jean liars...which I know them both well enough to know they wouldn't make something this severe up. Since this is the career I am looking to be in I couldn't press the issue with my superiors for fear of my own future. I spent so many of my years looking to please others often at my expense which really never served me much good, so I made the decision at this point to be loyal to myself first. I don't think I was wrong for staying neutral, and protecting my own ass,and future ambition, but people sure know how to make you feel awful for doing so. I think I did the right thing for myself as I am steadily advancing in this field I have been invited to assist in veterinary treatments with the animals, helping with releases, and simply moving up the ladder(and truth be told my friend ALSO could've been in my position had she not decided to get cocky, and act like she knew more than everyone else about the animals. In order to advance in this field you have to be willing to learn, and observe, and keep your ego in check). This is my dream, and I couldn't let anyone fuck it up for me. To weigh possibly losing a friend to losing my future I chose to keep my future. Was I wrong?
